Improvement in straw-cutters



3 Sheets-Sheet 1. I

E. W. FAWCETT.

STRAW-CUTTER. No.181,567. Patented Aug.29,1876.-

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E. W. FAWCETT.

STRAW-CUTTER.

N,1a1,5e7, Patented Aug.29, 1876.

WITNEEEE INVENTEJH'- ATTURNEY- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD FAWOETT, or SALEM, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN STRAW-CUTTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 18 1,567, datedAugu'st29, 1876," application filed June 23,-1876.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD W. FAWGETT of Salem, in the county ofOolumbiana and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Feed-Gutters, of which the following is a specification:

My invention'relates to the class of feedcutters which have rotatingcutters and feedrollers and it consists in the construction andarrangement of certain parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fullyset forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the annexed drawings, whichform a part of this specification, and in which Figure l is a sideelevation. Fig. 2 is a side elevation-opposite side from Fig. 1. Figs. 3and 4 are detail views. Fig. 5 is a vertical section through thefly-wheel. Fig. 6 is a top view with the casing removed. Fig. 7 is across-section of the pulley N.

A represents the ordinary feed-box, supported upon frame-work B, andhaving at the front end the metal casing O, which incloses thefeed-rollers and rotating cutters, the upper front portion of said casing being hinged, so as to be thrown back when required. D is the lowerfeed-roller, having-its journals extended beyond the casing 0. Upon oneof these journals is secured a large cogwheel, E, having crank E. On theotherjournal of said feed-roller is secured a pinion, b, which mesheswith a cog-wheel, G, mounted on a stud projecting from a slotted arm, d,held to the easing (J by a bolt, a. The arm (I may be ad justed on thearc of a circle and fastened at any point desired, a raised guide, :10,on the casing fitting in a groove on the arm and guiding its movements.The cog-wheel Gr meshes with another cog-wheel, H, fastened on theprojecting end of a shaft, 0, that has its bearings in the sides of thecase 0. On this shaft, on each side of the machine, is fastened a rigidarm,f, and in the outer ends of these arms are placed the journals ofthe upper feed-roller D. One of these journals is extended, and has acog-wheel,1, thereon, which meshes with a pinion, 'i, on the shaft 0, atthe side of the cog-wheel H.

By the arrangement of the shaft 6 with the two arms ff rigidly attachedthereto, and the upper feed-roller having its journal-bearings in theends of said arms, said upper feed-roller is maintained parallel withthe lower roller,

while its pinion I is maintained in gear with the double pinion H i, asshown. The journals of the upperroller D move in vertical slots in thesides of the casin g (J, and the roller held down in the usual manner bya spring, K, under the box A.

. By the adjustable plate or arm at (carrying the pinion G and the guideas) being concentric with the double pinion H i, said intermediatepinion G may be set to mesh with a pinion of any desired size on thelower roller, for the purposes of changing the length of cut.

h is the fly-wheel shaft, upon which, within the casing, are secured thedisks k, which carry the cutters m.

In order to prevent accidents that might be caused by any hard substancebeing fed to the knives, I construct thefly-wheel as follows: Attachedto or forming part of the flywheel L is a truncated cone or frustum, J,

In lieu of the frustum, a simple disk may be used, clamped in the samemanner.

Avery moderate tightening of the nuts on the bolts n is sufficient toprevent the wheel from turning on the t'rustum when the machine issimply doing its legitimate work, and the knives may be stoppedinstantly, when moving at a high speed, without proving destructive tothe machine.

1) is the nut, screwed on the end of the shaft h for securing thefly-wheel. The inner endof this nut is rounded and reduced in diameterto near the middle of its depth, leaving a shoulder, s, at that point,the reduced portion hein g a trifle less in depth than the thickness ofthe center plate of the pulley N, so that, when the pulley is not on,the inner endof the nut will tighten against the hub of the flywheel;but when the pulleyis on, the shoulder s of the nut tightens against thepulley-plate, and the round part serves to center it, thus requiring butlittle adjustment of the nut to make the change. A similar nut, 12, isprovided for the other end of the shaft h, and recesses made in thepinion O to receive the studs 0r lugs t of the pulley,and prevent itsturning on the shaft, so that the pulley may, be readily attached toeither end of the shaft, as desired. The center plate of the fly-wheelhas also recesses or holes for the lugs t of the pulley N. The pinion 0meshes directlywith the cog-wheel E, as shown.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The shaft e,with armsf f rigidly attached thereto, and carrying theupper feed-roller I), in combination with the gearing, as described,

whereby the roller D is allowed to adjust to the thickness of thematerial fed to the cut tin g-knives, substantially as set forth.

2. The adjustable plate or arm d, carrying the pinion G, in combinationwith the gearing, as described, whereby the speed of the feedingmechanism may be changed, substantially as shown and described.

3. The fly-wheel L, provided with the loose

